Island



(No Model.)

. F. GRINNELL.

AUTOMATIG FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

Patented Dec. 19, 18'82.

/l//l//I/ O ii' ,Turn r// %E Hil VENUE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK GRINNELL, OF PROVIDENOE, RHODE ISLAND.

AUTOMATIC FIRE- EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION formng part of Letters Patent No. 269,:202, dated December19, 1862.

Application filed February 520, 1882.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK GRINNELL, of the city and county ofProvidence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Automatic Fire- Extinguishers; and I hereby declare thatthe 'following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

This invention has reference to an improved device for secnring thevah-'e of an automatic fire-extinguisher to its seat, so as to make atight joint, and also so that When the fusingpoint ot' the solder isreached by the surrounding atmosphere the solder will readily melt andthe internal pressure will readily ruptnre the soldered joint.

The inventionconsists in the application of compound levers to hold thevalve to its seat, as will he more fully set forth hereinalter.

Figure 1 is a sectional View of an automatic fire-extinguisher in whicha Valve forming a disk much larger than the outlet and provided with aserrated edge is held against the outlet or valve-seat by means of twolevers, the end of one of which is Secured by solder. Fig. 2 is a Viewof the same device shown open. Fig. 3 is a sectional View of anautomatic fire extingnisher in which the valve is placed under adistribnter, and is provided with along stem, the'end ot' which stem isheld hy means of compound levers secured by solder. Fig. 4 is asectional View of a valve placed into a water-main, the end of theValvestem being held in place against the internal pressure by means ot'compound levers secured together by a strip of metal secured by solder.

ln the drawings, a a are the outlets, surrounded by valveseats, againstwhich the valves b I are held, so as to resist the internal pressure. cc are levers, one end of which rests in a notch or bolster, e e, thecenter resting against'the valve, as shown in Fig. 1, or the valvestem,as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the free end of the levers c c forming thefulcrum of the levers dd, one end of which rests on the otch or bolsterf f, the free end beingsecured to the frame g by means of a thin metalstrip or loop, h, to the lever c by means of fusible solder. By the useof compound levers a great leverage is Secured with short levers, andthereby the levers can be placed within the size of the extinguisher, asis shown-in the (No model.)

drawings. Itisobvious that three oreven four levers may be used, and sothe force may be' compounded indefinite-ly.

In Fig. l the lever dis shown curved. This brings the soldering-point iperpendicnlar below the center of the valve. The free end ot' the leverd, being thus secured by solder, forms a firm resistance to the internalpressnre on the valve, which cannot be ruptured by pressure. As soon,however, as the solder is fused by heat the end will move quickly awayfrom the solder, so that a partial release of the valve is not possible,and the prompt and efficient action ot' the extinguisher sinsured. Thelever c in Fie 1 has one side curved, so as to bear on the center ot'the valve-disk only, thus allowing the valve to seat itself f'eely onthe seat. i

Various modifications may be made in the form ot' the levers, and anydesired leverage may be Secured by moving the free end of the lever cnearer the hearing endfot' the lever d.

2. In an automatic tire-extinguishe'r, a system of compound leversarranged to hold the valve against the internal prcssnre, as described,and the fusible connection for securing said levers.

3. A valve const'ucted to control the fluid supply to automatictire-ext'nguishers, held to its seat by means ot' compound levers, whichare secured by a fusible connection, as described.

4. The combination, with the outlet a, surrounded with a valve-seat, ot'the valve and deflector b, held to the seat by means of the levers c andd, the free end of the lever d being Secured to the 'rame g by a fusiblesolder, as described.

FREDERIGK GRINNELL.

Witnesses:

J. A. MILLER, Jr., M. E. EMERsoN.

IOO

